The VA runs on forms, and honestly, half the battle is just knowing which one you need. So here’s a plain-English list of the documents that came up most in my own go-round, grouped by what you’re actually trying to do. Every link goes straight to the official form on va.gov.
Two honest notes before you dive in. Form numbers and links do change now and then — if one ever looks off, search the number at va.gov/find-forms. And I’m not accredited yet, so think of this as a helpful map, not advice on your specific claim. When in doubt, a free accredited VSO can tell you exactly which form fits your situation. (Here’s where to start.)
First, a worksheet
Before any of these forms will make much sense, somebody has to gather the facts — and it is almost always a daughter or a son or a grandkid doing it, at a kitchen table, with a parent who does not much care to talk about it.
So I wrote down everything an accredited representative is going to ask you, roughly in the order they will ask it: the papers to hunt for, the service itself, what is actually going on health-wise, the honest money questions, and the two things worth doing this week no matter what else is still unfinished.
Print it and fill it in over a couple of sittings. Nothing on it gets submitted to me or to anybody else — it is not a VA form, it is not binding, and it stays in your hands. It is just a way to walk in prepared instead of scrambling.
Telling the story (statements)
- VA Form 21-10210 — Lay/Witness Statement. A firsthand account from you, or from anyone who has witnessed the veteran’s condition. (I wrote a whole guide to these — read it here.)
- VA Form 21-4138 — Statement in Support of Claim. The veteran’s own general-purpose statement, for anything that needs a little more room.
Getting the records
- VA Form 21-4142 & 21-4142a — Authorization to Disclose Information to VA. Lets the VA go collect your private, non-VA medical records for you.
- VA Form 20-10206 — Personal Records Request. Request copies of your own VA records (a Privacy Act / FOIA request).
- VA Form 3288 — Request for and Consent to Release of Information. Releases your VA records to someone else — a provider, a representative, a family member.
- Military service records, including your DD214. How to request the service records that so many claims depend on.
Naming someone to help (representatives & directives)
- VA Form 21-22 — Appoint a VSO as your representative. Names an accredited organization (the DAV, VFW, American Legion, your county office) to represent you — for free.
- VA Form 21-22a — Appoint an individual as your representative. Names an accredited attorney or claims agent to represent you.
- VA Form 10-0137 — VA Advance Directive. A durable power of attorney for health care plus a living will — it names who speaks for the veteran’s medical care if they ever can’t.
One thing you won’t find at va.gov: a general or financial durable power of attorney. That’s a legal document you set up under your own state’s law, usually with a lawyer — worth having, just not a VA form.
Starting and building a claim
- VA Form 21-0966 — Intent to File. File this first. It can lock in an earlier effective date — and more back pay — while you gather everything else.
- VA Form 21-526EZ — Application for Disability Compensation. The main disability claim itself.
- VA Form 21-8940 — Unemployability (TDIU). For when service-connected conditions make it impossible to hold down steady work.
If you disagree with a decision
Start by picking your path — this VA overview walks you through the three options: Choosing a decision review option.
- VA Form 20-0995 — Supplemental Claim. Add new and relevant evidence and ask for another look.
- VA Form 20-0996 — Higher-Level Review. Ask a senior reviewer for a fresh review (no new evidence).
- VA Form 10182 — Board Appeal. Take your case to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.
That’s the toolbox. Bookmark this page — you’ll come back to it. And remember: you don’t have to figure out which form you need on your own. (Start here.)